Commissioned
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Min Ho is working closely with Yi Jeong now that everything has settled down. When Eri is commissioned for a few pieces of work, Min Ho has to work with her. But the buyer suddenly starts poking her nose into their daily lives. Is she there to break up the happy families? R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : I love you people! Just wanted to get it out there. As for the Yi Jeong short shot, there were typos. I just haven't fixed it yet. I wrote it in first person so don't be confused. So here is yet another story in the same series.

And on a side note, I just had the realization that more than likely by the end of the year all of JYJ and Eunhyuk and Dongahae from Super Junior will be in the army. What am I going to do for two years while I wait?! I love me some Eunhyuk from Super Junior, and JaeJoong and Junsu from JYJ!

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Min Ho wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed or shocked or a mixture of both. He wasn't quite sure what he was seeing as he stood in the doorway of the studio. Usually he could hear music and the spinning wheel going when he hit the door. The two always working together shut everyone out when they were busy being dumb or just bored of the world. It seemed they were always of one mind, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get in.

Yi Jeong and Eri were half dressed lying across one of the tables. It was an intimate moment between two people who weren't even married. A large clay pot sat atop the spinning wheel. They were talking about something while balancing cups of coffee on their stomachs.

This was normal. One day he came in to find them in jumpsuits throwing darts at balloons. From what he heard, Eri had opened Yi Jeong's mind to new things in the art world. He had let her set up her own little corner to do whatever she wanted. He helped her when she needed it but otherwise left her alone.

Yi Jeong flipped over the edge of the table and landed easily on his feet. He went back to the wheel and began shaping the edges of the bowl. Min Ho watched Eri watch him. Three months later and her hair was finally long enough for her to pull it back. If they looked closely they could see layers upon layers of scars due to surgeries. She never complained about them.

Seeing them like this was something completely new. He'd heard what Woo Bin and Ga Eul said about their spouses that they worked hard at the studio and shop. He had never seen it because he had classes during the days, but now that it was summer break he'd been seeing way to many things like this. But today's was the worst. Why didn't he ever turn on the air conditioner?

"Quit lurking in the door." Yi Jeong's voice caught him off guard. He looked up to see the man expertly moving his hands while looking up.

"Don't you think it's too hot in here?" he asked as he moved into the room.

"We don't mind breaking out a sweat."

Eri rolled off the table and he couldn't tell if she was shocked to see him or not. She waved then walked over to the corner and sat in the floor. Barefoot with her shoulders exposed and dirty from head to toe, she looked to be a child instead of in her thirties. She looked like a kid instead of an adult.

"When does she get her hearing aids back?" he asked.

"In a couple of months if she passes the hearing test. We haven't really talked about it," Yi Jeong replied.

"Does she ever speak about anything she feels?" It was supposed to be muttered but he must have said it out loud.

"Hey, you know the reason. Don't get cocky simply because you have access as her personal assistant. It's unbecoming to run your mouth."

"Why would I do that? All of you have helped me so much."

Yi Jeong stared at him for a long time, so long that it made him feel uncomfortable. He had never once thought to run his mouth about Eri. He had too much respect for her and he was certain she would find some way to get back at him. She had a violent temper when roused and he'd heard way too much about it.

Luckily he had never been on the receiving end. Even when he had accidently hurt her son when trying to keep him from getting hurt, she hadn't been angry with him. But she had exchanged words with Yi Jeong's father days before his wedding which resulted in Hyun Sub not being invited. They called her a rock for a reason.

Min Ho had been put in a position to take care of her right after her surgery. They had argued, fussed and fought over the smallest things but in the end it just brought them closer. He was able to feel when she needed something while they were at the shop or studio. He spent plenty of time at their house so he knew her schedule. She didn't seem like she needed help, but anyone with eyes could tell she needed help even though she was so strong.

"Jag-eob nampyeon." (This may be wrong)

Yi Jeong turned to look at her as Min Ho looked at him. He pointed at her when the potter caught his eyes. "Did she just call you work husband?"

"Shut up." Yi Jeong stood up and walked over to her. It was then Min Ho noticed that he was barefoot as well. "What is it?"

"I need to make a sphere but I can't get this sit right. Plus I need to be able to put a light in here," she said. She never looked at him.

Once again Min Ho wasn't sure how to feel as Yi Jeong squatted behind Eri and pressed his front to her back as he showed her how to work the clay. They didn't say anything as they worked, making it feel even more intimate and secluded.

Yi Jeong was one of the only two men allowed to do that, the other being Woo Bin. Ji Hoo wasn't even allowed to come up behind her like that and he had known her the longest. Nowadays he was too busy with his wife and new baby to spend a whole lot of time with them so it really didn't matter.

Min Ho knew there was a thing known as soul mates, but could a person really have two? Both of them were married to the people who completed them, and happily so. How could they be so comfortable to hold each other like that when they slept with their spouses?

"Why do you love art?" He looked up at Yi Jeong. The man was sitting on his haunches. He was watching him with an elbow propped on his knee and a hand covering his mouth.

He had to think. "Because it gives me release. It allows me to feel the emotions of other artists and I hope people feel what I was feeling at the time I made something. Sometimes I'm not able to say how I feel…"

He realized a little too late that that's what Eri was doing when she worked with Yi Jeong. He gave her the means to express what she otherwise couldn't say out loud. He knew that she had those issues but he didn't realize how deeply those affected her. Yi Jeong had always been beside her, giving her the things she needed to release those pent up emotions. Woo Bin was the one that took care of the mental and physical needs, but it was always the potter's hand that sculpted the emotional ones.

Suddenly, Eri turned and smeared clay all over Yi Jeong's face. He didn't seem surprised, unlike Min Ho who stood there looking like a fish. She stood and walked back to the table to grab her cup. Min Ho suddenly remembered why he had come in the first place.

"You've been commissioned," he said as he made sure he faced her so she could read his lips. He handed her a packet then. "Someone by the name Ha Jae Kyung wants you to do a piece of work for her. The requirements are here. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" He was looking at Yi Jeong.

"That woman you just mentioned is nuts. She was former President Kang's attack on Jun Pyo and Jan Di's relationship when we were in school. Woo Bin and I tried to break them up, but that woman is fearless. Eri is a lot like her," he said as he wiped his face with a wet rag.

"I can't imagine anyone being like Eri."

"Well, no one is like Eri, but Jae Kyung is like that. She's more outspoken though, saying she's hurt when she is. She doesn't internalize much. Unlike someone else we know."

Eri wasn't paying a lick of attention to them. She was reading through the art requirements carefully, making mental notes and finally physical ones as she stole Min Ho's pen from his pocket. She scribbled something in French, her native language, and headed for the store room. Both men watched as she pulled item after item out and set them on the table.

"Does she always do this?" Min Ho wondered as the table became structurally cluttered.

"She has free reign of anything I have here. All she has to do is tell me when she orders something so I can put it on the tax report list. I've come in late at night and it has been so much worse than this. Be glad you can walk around."

He snagged the requirements from her and read over them. "You know if she takes this on, you're going to be working extra hours. I'll have to be at the shop while she works on this and she can't be alone in here without being able to hear. That's the only thing I made a rule about. You'll have to be here no matter what time it is."

Min Ho never thought about it. He was teaching some classes at the local youth center for those who loved art as much as he did. He knew Eri worked around the clock like a mad woman so it made it hard to schedule around her. Now that she was taking on commissioned work, he was going to have to plan everything wisely.

"We'll have to figure out a resting time. I have the classes at the youth center that I'm paid to teach. Those are about two hours twice a week. I have to pay tuition next semester since my father cut me off," he explained.

"I'll pay your tuition, but we'll figure out the schedule that matches yours," Yi Jeong offered.

"No, you can't pay my tuition. I won't let you."

"Call it an early employment benefit. I plan to hire you at the gallery when you graduate."

"Now you tell me," he grumbled, "but all I ask is that you take into consideration everything else I do during the day."

"All right. I'll make it as fair and balanced as I can, but don't complain if there are certain days where you don't have a choice but to give up some days."

Min Ho couldn't argue if Yi Jeong was going to do his best to work around his schedule. Even though it was summer break, he still had work he had to do. It was mandatory for art students to do community service, and he had gotten the job at the youth center after much stress. He actually enjoyed and didn't want to anything to mess with it. When he worked part time, those days he worked during the morning so he could teach in the afternoon.

He cast Eri one more glance before he left the studio. He was going to have to reevaluate his life before he did anything. This was going to rub him raw. Eri wasn't going to listen to him on some days. There was going to be fights every day as he made sure she ate and did the basic necessities. Was he really ready for this even with the promise of a job?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** So I realized I use these for two reasons. 1: so I can tell when someone's made me happy or helped with my stories. 2: so I ramble about what I'm doing because sometimes I like to think you people care. So, I just started watching a drama with Hoon from U KISS. I just died! Okay. I'm done now.

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"All right, that's enough for today. Make sure you clean up your work space. I'll see you next week."

Min Ho returned to the front of his classroom and began cleaning up his workspace. He tossed the plate holding his paints and made sure the lids were securely on the bottles. He gathered his brushes from the bowl in which they were soaking and took them to the sink to finish rinsing off.

As the last student filtered out, he turned around to find Eri standing in the doorway with Ahn Na clinging to her pants leg. She waved a little at him before coming in the room, but it was hard to do since her daughter clung to her leg so tightly she could barely walk.

She walked all the way into the room and took the paint thinner from him, frowning slightly at the weight of it. He wasn't too surprised in things she did anymore. Not at all, but what surprised him more was the fact that he did whatever she said most of the time. He ended up following her around no matter how many times he said he wasn't.

Together they folded up the easel and put everything away. Even little Ahn Na started singing "Whistle While you Work" as she put away the small bottles of paint. The girl should be in daycare but knowing Eri she kept her out to do a day of bounding. Since Bin Ji had been in the hospital, everyone worried about him. So Woo Bin and Eri took turns taking her out every chance they could. Today must have been that day.

"Why did you come?" he asked when she was finally facing him. He hadn't mastered all of ASL yet so he preferred talking it out instead of signing.

"We were going for lunch and wondered if you were finished. Woo Bin is going to meet me at the studio so he can take her. Do you want to join us?" she asked.

"Sure. I'm done for the day. I figured you'd call me before you went to the studio anyway."

He tossed his art book in his bag and swung it over her shoulder. Next came Ahn Na, whom he picked up and held on his shoulders. She grabbed a handful of hair and kicked her legs. Laughing, they left the classroom then the center.

It happened every time they walked down the sidewalk. If he was holding one of the kids, people mistook him as the father. He could pass as Ahn Na's father because she had dark curly hair much like his, but Bin Ji looked just like Woo Bin. There were younger pictures of Woo Bin floating around everywhere since his company had been contracted by Shinhwa Group to head the building of a new state of the art hospital in Gangnam. Both Woo Bin's and Jun Pyo's faces were plastered all over the news and magazines, but they had done a very good job of keeping their families out of the press. Although Jan Di and Eri were recognized all the time, reporters never made a move to talk to them, and they definitely left the kids alone. Every now and then, they would allow a snapshot of the families but most of the time it was quiet.

Today was one of the days where it was quiet but women all around were oohing and ahhing the supposed couple that walked around the streets. Normally Min Ho would enjoy everything because he was walking around with a beautiful woman, but Eri was his older sister. She had adopted him after Bin Ji got out of the hospital and he'd called her Noona ever since. It could easily be misconstrued as a sign of endearment of a dating couple. Eri was eight years older than him and normally he wouldn't go for someone that much older.

Someone bumped into Eri, knocking the normally graceful woman off balance. Without a second thought, Min Ho wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side. The older gentleman who had knocked into her demanded she apologize, but Min Ho simply stated that she couldn't hear him because she was deaf. The man's face changed immediately and he apologized before tweaking Ahn Na's cheek and walking away.

Eri shrugged off his touch and continued towards the restaurant they frequented. Min Ho knew she didn't like being touched often but the look on her face told him something was boiling under the surface. He wasn't as good as Yi Jeong at interpreting her emotions or as Woo Bin as reading her body language, but he was getting there. He spent all of his free time with her so he was bound to understand something.

They got their normal booth by the window and didn't have to say anything as the waitress wrote down their orders. Ahn Na started coloring on the paper before her, happily accepting the crayons Min Ho handed her. She knew better than to color on the table. Quiet like her mother, she colored the napkins carefully as she made sure to stay between the lines.

Min Ho tapped the table between them, garnering Eri's attention. "What's wrong?"

She gnawed at her thumb nail. "I can't figure out what this person wants. Even Yi Jeong is at a loss."

"Maybe you should meet the client before you do anything. I find it very strange that she sent the qualifications to you without seeing you first."

"There wasn't a number. There's no way I can text or have Yi Jeong call."

"Yi Jeong seemed to know who she is. I'm sure he'll know how to get in contact with her."

That probably wasn't the best thing to say at that moment. Eri's eyes steeled as she stared at him. No matter what the others said, Eri was a jealous woman. She wasn't jealous of anyone in her family, but that couldn't be said for everyone else. She didn't ask about Woo Bin's or Yi Jeong's pasts, but she knew enough to recognize names.

Min Ho changed the subject as fast as he could, but the mood was already soured. He had to endure the thirty minute ice blast as he sat across from the woman. Luckily for him, Ahn Na took pity on him and tried to feed him her chicken. The first couple of bites he took then kindly pushed them away so she could eat them. But he never forgot that Eri was across from him and one wrong move would result in her lashing him at some point.

With the impending explosion boiling just under the surface, Min Ho paid for their meal then picked Ahn Na up and left the restaurant. He waited for Eri outside then followed her to the studio. She was really irritated at him or the situation. He couldn't figure out which one yet. He watched her weave in and out of the crowded street with ease.

Walking in silence, they came to the studio doors. Those poor doors got the beating of Eri's temper as she slammed them open. Min Ho winced as they shook on their hinges. He gently closed the doors then let Ahn Na down to run. He followed her in and wasn't surprised to see Woo Bin talking to Yi Jeong as he sat behind his wheel.

"Appa!" Ahn Na's voice rang out through the small space as she ran from the doorway to where Woo Bin leaned against the table.

Woo Bin swung around and caught her around her tiny waist to pull her up. She squealed as he rolled her from his wrist to his shoulder then held her against him. He nodded at Min Ho then searched for his wife. Eri must not have come through the studio before him.

"What did you do?" Yi Jeong asked. The bastard didn't even lift his eyes from the pottery wheel. "She went in the store room to change, but she's been slamming my doors. Those are heavy doors. I don't even have the strength to slam them most days. So what did you do?"

"I'm not even sure. All I said was you probably had the client's number since she didn't leave it in the packet," he answered.

"Who's the client?" Woo Bin asked.

"Ha Jae Kyung."

Woo Bin made a noise in the back of his throat. "How did she find out about Eri?"

"It was probably one of the art shows I've put on in the last few months. Eri's "Starlit Night" sold for eighteen million Won in just four hours, and her "Lover's Quarrel" for sixteen million. She must have a true following even though she doesn't want to do art for a living." Yi Jeong looked up at his best friend. "Did she really do "Lover's Quarrel" after you fought or is it just my imagination running away with me?"

"You've been listening to too much Temptations music recently." Yi Jeong shrugged then went back to his work. "It wasn't a fight with me. She had been over at Jan Di's and Jun Pyo's when she made that piece."

"Well that makes sense. Unlike us who find it humorous when those two fight, Eri finds the bigger picture and uses it. It's the perfect balance."

"Jeong!"

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong cringed at the voice that rang through the studio. Min Ho turned to look at the door as a very tall and very thin woman walked through. Her hair was cropped short and she was dressed in the best outfit on the market. When she smiled, he thought of Ga Eul her smile was that pretty.

"Jeong! I didn't know this was your studio. I just thought you were leasing it out for someone," she said as she walked over to him and handed him a cup of coffee.

Yi Jeong had manners but Min Ho could tell he didn't particularly like this woman. He couldn't pinpoint why though. "Thanks, but why are you here, Jae Kyung?"

"I came to see the artist. It seems she's very hard to get in touch with. Bin, what are you doing here?" she asked. Then she saw the curly head pressed into his neck. "Who is this?"

Woo Bin smiled and turned his head. "This is Ahn Na, my daughter. And don't call me Bin. Only one person has the right to call me that."

"You could have called, Jae Kyung. I would have told you how to get in contact with the artist you commissioned," Yi Jeong continued. "She's a little wary of new people so it would have been better if you called before showing up."

"She's here?" Jae Kyung's face lit up as she looked around. "Where is she? I want to meet her."

Woo Bin laughed. "That's the only thing you got out of that whole scolding."

Min Ho had no idea what was going on. Did these two really not understand why Eri was slamming doors? Or were they just ignoring the fact that their friend and wife was feeling something that they had never witnessed before? Had they seen her jealous before? Had they witnessed her temper? Or was he the only one who was bright enough to recognize a woman irritated that her family knew another woman and she didn't?

He was the first one to notice Eri as she came into the main studio. She was dressed to work with clay in her jumpsuit. Like usual, she had the torso unzipped and wrapped around her waist. She stopped as soon as she hit the doors as she looked around the room.

This was bad. There were only four women Eri trusted, and there were plenty she tolerated. But she didn't know this woman, and here she was chatting up her husband and best friend. Her temper was about to explode if they didn't realize she was there.

He moved first, stepping in front of her to block her view. She looked up at him as he gripped her shoulders lightly.

"She's the client. They've known her for years," he whispered. He felt her trembling under his hands. "Calm down. You can't let your temper get the better of you."

"She's not shaking because of her temper." Woo Bin was suddenly there. His smile was soft and reassuring. He reached over Min Ho's hands and framed her face. "It's because you crowded her suddenly. Every man who has done that has laid a hand on her in an untoward fashion."

Dropping his hands, Min Ho stepped back and let Woo Bin take control. It took a matter of minutes and several gentle kisses to ease her. He took her hand and led her over to Yi Jeong. The potter vacated his stool and watched as his friend sat down, hands immediately going to the wet clay.

"Who is she?" Jae Kyung asked as the men stepped back.

"That is the woman you have commissioned to do your painting. That's Eri, my wife. If you want to get in contact with her, you'll have to do it via text message because she's hearing impaired and can't talk on the phone. Or you can call Yi Jeong or Min Ho. They're always with her so they can get your message across. Never grab her from behind or turn away from her while you're talking. It'll only make her dislike you more. She isn't the friendliest person but her artwork is on par or better than those in Yi Jeong's gallery," Woo Bin explained. "Also, don't be surprised if you show up here and she and Yi Jeong are sprawled out somewhere. It's normal, and they're not cheating. It's how Yi Jeong controls the situation."

"How can I talk to her if she can't hear?"

"She can lip read, but I don't think she's in the mood to be doing that today. Text me later and I'll send you her number so you can text her whenever you have questions. Starting tomorrow, I have to be at the gallery every day so I may not be available to talk. Min Ho on the other hand is always with her. He can help," Yi Jeong said.

Min Ho really didn't like that. "You're going to put me in a room with a ticking time bomb and Miss Peppy by myself? You're a sick bastard."

Yi Jeong looked at him. "Well, this sick bastard pays you double what anyone else would pay so shut up and take it."

How did he get into this situation? All he wanted was a quiet life to work on his art and here he was tossed in the chaebol world with a woman who was worse than him. How did things like that even happen? How was he going to survive this?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Have you ever gotten bored of Korean Dramas because you really know the plotline already? I have just little so I went back to my roots. Anime! Fairy Tail is one of the best and funniest I have found.

Also since I can't write stories on real people, I'm using their names as characters. So don't be surprised if your favorite KPop idols pop up. In fact a couple have already, such as Hoon and Min Ho. More will follow in this story.

Birthdays are mentioned in this story. Since the characters were in high school I had to do the calculations. The actors were actually older than the characters they portrayed like usual. So the characters are in their thirties, which puts their birthdays between 1984 and 1990. If it seems wrong, let me know.

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"Shouldn't we head home?" Min Ho muttered as he followed Eri down the street.

They were across town away from the hustle and bustle of the studio. Jae Kyung had once again invaded the studio, causing a ruckus as they were trying to work. Eri still hadn't been able to get fully involved in the artwork so she and Yi Jeong had been working on a new piece for his gallery.

The woman had flounced in and tossed her stuff across a paint filled table, nearly knocking a can of black paint to the floor. Instead of black paint, the orb of constellations Eri had been working on hit the floor and shattered. Yi Jeong had been just about to say something, but Eri pulled the towel from around her neck and slammed it down on the table. She hadn't said anything but then again she hadn't needed to. She'd worked for days on it, finally asking Yi Jeong for help.

Jae Kyung hadn't known anything about any of that but she didn't seem to care. She was too busy trying to get Yi Jeong to talk to her about the old days that she didn't realize her paid worker was getting angrier and angrier by the moment. Yi Jeong didn't say much, almost like he was waiting for that other shoe to drop.

But Eri never said a word as she picked up the pieces of her shattered work. She tossed it in the huge bin and went back into the store closet for the rest of the day. No one heard anything from her for six hours.

When Yi Jeong decided to go home, he poked his head into the closet to see what she was doing. Nothing much as it seemed so he said his goodbyes and went to meet Ga Eul. Min Ho walked in and looked. Eri was sitting in the middle of the store room with paint and clay all around her. She was dirty and nasty but she was also angry. It made it interesting to watch.

He sat down and waited, watching to see what was so special about the silent woman who had captured three men's hearts and forced them to protect her even amongst their wives. At first he didn't see much, just her working agitatedly on something random. But as he watched, he figured out what had been hiding underneath that cold exterior.

Woo Bin had told him when he had gone over for dinner that Eri didn't express her emotions verbally or physically. She couldn't, so she used art to do it for her. There were certain things to watch out for when she was upset. She made weird creations using certain colors. But the colors didn't mean the same things to her as they did to them. That was the hardest part was figuring out which emotions were being expressed.

Min Ho watched the swirl of blues, greens, and yellows go into the clay. She was an expert at art since she had been groomed by her grandfather since she was born. But it wasn't art she had mastered; it was explaining she was feeling in her art.

Not caring that his jeans were going to be caked in clay and paint, he scooted around until his was sitting behind her. He didn't touch her, keeping his knees upraised and arms draped across them. She didn't say anything as he sat too close to her, but in a strange way it was a comfort.

When Eri leaned back in to him, Min Ho didn't say anything. He kept very still so he didn't scare her. He remembered what Woo Bin had said only two days ago, allowing her to come to him. But he didn't understand why she was just now feeling comfortable with him.

She had stood up and started to clean up. He watched as she put everything back in its place then scrubbed at the floor. She put the colored clay in the wet barrel then got ready to go.

That's how they ended up on the other side of town, heading down the sidewalk to some unknown location. He couldn't deny her because no matter what he did, he always ended up following her.

She took a left into a coffee shop and went to the very back. Suddenly the barista came up to their table, extremely happy and hopping from foot to foot. So he knew her.

"Baby girl, you're finally back. I haven't seen you in a good while," he said.

Eri nodded. "Min Ho, this is Hoon. Hoon, Min Ho; he's been given the position as my personal babysitter. Hoon owns this coffee shop and he's a friend."

Hoon looked shocked. "You don't use that word lightly. I can count on two hands how many people you call that."

"More like one hand considering everyone else is family. He drinks Americano black." She pointed at Min Ho as she said that.

"Do you want your usual?" She nodded, and Hoon smiled. "All right. I'll be right back."

Min Ho watched Hoon walk away. So this was her old hangout before she fully committed to working at the shop. But he didn't understand one thing.

He tapped the table to get her attention. "Why does he speak informally?" he asked.

"Hoon is the same age I am, only he's a couple months older. Whereas I'm older than every member of F4 by a few months, Hoon is the only friend I have that is older than me. Even Kyu Lee is younger than me. None of us speak formally to each other. You're the youngest out of all of us," she explained. "But I was Hoon's daughter's doctor when she had heart issues a few years ago."

"And now she's good as new thanks to this woman here," Hoon replied as he brought a tray of food over as well as their coffee. "It's a new pie I tried. Key lime cheesecake. And as usual, it's on the house."

Min Ho was shocked as he sat down with them like it was his spot. "How have you been? Ji Hoo told me you had your cochlear implants removed but that you retained your hearing."

Eri nodded. "Yeah, I didn't feel right after having them implanted."

Hoon smiled. "I have never seen you look like that. You seem to be at peace." Eri shrugged but kept her eyes averted. He had to tap the table to get her attention. "You know you can say whatever you want here. No one's going to belittle you for it."

"She's been commissioned for a specific piece of art but the client is kind of insane," Min Ho said.

The barista laughed. "Eri, don't you deal with insane people all the time? Look who you live with. Only someone sane could live with all the members of F4 and not worry." Eri just looked at him. "Just do what you want. Don't worry about what the client says. You've always done what your heart says even if you didn't understand it. Just follow those emotions."

"Boss! We have a problem! We have an irate customer!" a guy not much older than Min Ho claimed.

"Junsu, he's not an irate customer. He's got a temper but he's one of the calmest ones I have ever met. Ji Hoo, get over here and stop causing trouble for my employees."

"Since when do you let riff raff work at your establishment?" Ji Hoo asked, ruffling Junsu's red hair as he walked by.

"Junsu isn't riff raff. He's studying to become a shop owner. As he finishes his MBA, I'm letting him work here. Now his brother Junho is riff raff. He wants to become a pastier and he needed a place to train. The twins are so similar yet so different, but they don't fight. And the only way to tell the two apart is the hair color. Junsu's is red, and Junho's is blue. Cliché, I know. Junho made the bear claws in the case." Eri's eyes lit up slightly. "Do you want one? Junho! Three cream cheese bear claws!"

The blue haired version of Junsu walked over with a plate of bear claws. As soon as the plate hit the table, Eri snatched a pastry off of it and dug in. Ji Hoo and Hoon didn't bother to hide their amusement as they laughed. Junho looked at her then his face softened. Hoon promptly smacked him in the face with a notepad.

"Stop it. She's your noona and a married woman. Put that face away and go back to work," he scolded.

Min Ho understood the poor guy's plight. He had done the same thing when he met Eri the first time. But Woo Bin and Yi Jeong were scary when they were united so he assumed Ji Hoo and Hoon were the same way.

"Have you eaten today?" Ji Hoo asked as he ruffled Eri's short wavy hair.

"No, she hasn't. That woman has done a number on her nerves." He watched as Ji Hoo pulled Eri into his side. She didn't object. "Is it true Eri is older than F4?"

Ji Hoo nodded. "Yep. She was born the December before Woo Bin whose birthday is in February. December 29, I think. Then the order is Woo Bin, me, Jun Pyo and Yi Jeong. As for the girls, the ranking is Eri, Kyu Lee, Ga Eul and Jan Di. So Eri is everyone's noona and unni."

"Except mine. My birthday is October of the same year, but we don't use honorifics," Hoon added. He looked at Min Ho. "When's your birthday?"

"July of 1991. I'm six years younger than everyone, almost seven when it comes to you and Eri." He was talking about Hoon. "But how do we deal with Jae Kyung?"

"Date her," Ji Hoo quipped. Min Ho stared at him. "She's very peppy and very wild. She's completely different from Eri. They are going to clash. But the key is let Eri unleash her temper. She's very good at keeping things to herself, but when someone tries to tell her what to do, she's going to lash out. Jae Kyung doesn't get yelled at often so having a bout of temper is good for her."

"But Eri's temper scorches. I still have the scars from it."

Hoon and Ji Hoo laughed, but he was serious. She yelled at him on a daily basis. Some of the things she said to him ripped new wounds. He knew she didn't mean half the things she said, but it was the fact that they were so scathing that he wondered if she ever felt anything other than contempt with him. There were moments like this afternoon that told him she really cared for him, but that temper of hers got to him every time.

"Let her do what she wants. If Jae Kyung has something to say about it, let her. She'll really see why Eri is the best at what she does. She thought we were protective of Jan Di. She has no idea that we'll move heaven and hell to keep this woman safe," Ji Hoo added. There was something in his dark eyes that dared anyone to contradict his words.

He looked up when Eri suddenly stood. He tugged on her arm. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk. Thanks for the food and coffee, Hoon. I'll swing by later," she said. No one was able to say anything as she walked away from their table immediately.

"Seriously?" Min Ho fought against Hoon to get out of the booth and ran after the one person he had no choice but to follow.

Hoon leaned against the table and watched the two disappear. "That boy is probably the best fit for her. He takes her verbal assaults with ease."

"Woo Bin is her physical, Yi Jeong her emotional, and Min Ho her verbal/mental. Combining those three means we can understand everything she is going through and feeling. Min Ho is young so he doesn't care what his words say, but he's very careful around her. I feel much more comfortable having him with her when we can't be," Ji Hoo said.

"What are you going to do if Min Ho actually starts dating Jae Kyung?"

"She'll have to understand that we're not a normal family, and if she wants to join she's going to have to do a better job at keeping herself under control." He smiled at his friend then stood. "I have my own family to take care of. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hoon smiled as he was left alone in the booth. "Those guys are really something else. I wonder how the press handles them." Then there was a clatter in the kitchen. "Junho, you better not have broken another bowl!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** So back to watching K-Dramas but I can't get JYJ's Junsu out of my mind. Pinterest has ruined me. I have a Guys board and lately it's been Junsu and Eunhyuk. I'm hopeless.

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Woo Bin stood in the doorway and shook his head. Ga Eul had already left and taken the kids with her to the preschool, and Yi Jeong was gone to the gallery for morning meetings then to the shop. That left him and Eri alone in the house. But Woo Bin had to be at his own office for planning meetings and had to get up. So he got up and started to get ready for his day.

Completely dressed down (he rarely wore suits to work unless protocol demanded it), he wanted to wake up his wife. Since he had gotten up, Eri had rolled to the center of the bed. She had pulled the blankets all the way up until the only thing he could see was her eyes up. He missed seeing her long hair fanned out behind her head, a dark stain on the white pillow. It still fanned out but it was shorter.

He sat on the edge of the bed and shook her gently. She sighed sleepily as she kicked her legs. It made him laugh that in this aspect she was completely normal. No one liked waking up in the morning. He brushed her hair from her forehead and stopped, placing the back of his hand on her skin. She was burning up.

Shaking her again, he watched her eyelashes lift to reveal those golden eyes he had fallen into immediately when they had first met. She shrugged off his hand and turned over. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit speed dial

"Hey, Ji Hoo. When do you go to work?" he asked as soon as the call connected.

"I'm on my way now. Why?" his friend questioned over the hum of the radio.

"Is there any way you can swing by? Eri has a fever."

"I'll be by shortly."

Eri had a history of ear infections, and they had to be careful because if she ran a high enough fever she could lose the rest of her hearing. Ji Hoo had become her primary physician since she had retired from medicine and he was always a phone call away.

While he waited, Woo Bin sent a quick text to Yi Jeong and Min Ho. They would both expect to see her today. If they didn't, they'd get worried so it was better to let them know ahead of time.

Min Ho answered just as Ji Hoo walked through the front door. Without a word of hello, he got right to work with his exam. Woo Bin sat on the chair and watched quietly while filtering the replies from his friends.

"Min Ho said he'd come over today while we're at work," he said as Ji Hoo worked quietly.

"That's probably a good idea. This looks like the early stages of the flu. If it is, Bin Ji is more susceptible to it so it might be a good idea to keep the kids away from your room. You'll need to go to the pharmacy to get a flu shot before you get it. Tell Ga Eul and Yi Jeong to do the same. Min Ho had the flu a few months ago so he has antibodies to it. Right now her temperature is 39 degrees Celsius (103 Fahrenheit). If it goes any higher, get her to the hospital."

"Anything else?"

"The usual. Make sure she has lots of fluids and try to get her fever down. I'll swing by again when I get off. And don't leave her alone."

"Wasn't planning on it."

Woo Bin saw Ji Hoo out then went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. Keeping Eri hydrated was going to be hard. When she was sick, she was even more stubborn. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep was good but keeping hydrated was good as well. Most of the time she was severely dehydrated by the time her illness was over.

He walked back into the room and sat beside her again. She had tossed the covers off and was lying on her stomach with her hands under the pillow. One leg was drawn up and she looked to be sleeping peacefully. But one touch of her skin told him the real story. She had to be miserable.

"Yaebo," he muttered as he tried to roll her over. Normally she would roll over and pretend to be asleep so he could hold her more. But at the moment, she wasn't moving. "Eri, I need you to wake up for a moment. You need to drink some water."

She couldn't hear him so it was pointless to speak. He gripped her shoulder gently and turned her onto her side. She opened her eyes briefly then nuzzled her head into his shoulder. He grabbed the mug and pressed it to her mouth, hoping she would get the hint and raise up. Either she was too tired or didn't care, but she didn't move. So he stuck his finger in her mouth long enough for her to get annoyed then he poured the water in. To not drown, she swallowed instantly, and he made sure she drank the rest of the water.

By the time he had her settled again, Min Ho was walking into the house. Woo Bin heard bags rustle as they hot the counter then the familiar pit-pat of slippers coming their way. Min Ho graciously knocked on the door before walking in. He looked concerned and was picking at his fingers as he stood just inside the door.

"Ji Hoo thinks she may have the flu," Woo Bin said as he stood up. "He says we can't leave her alone because she won't take care of herself."

"I think we already knew that. What's her temperature?"

"Thirty-nine degrees. If it goes any higher you have to take her to the hospital. Ji Hoo said that you're the best bet to take care of her since you've already had the flu."

Min Ho nodded. "Head on to work. I'll call you if anything changes. If she's anything like me, she'll sleep most of the day."

Woo Bin turned to leave but then turned back abruptly. "She's been having nightmares. If she has one, all you have to do is cuddle her." Min Ho cast him a look that was purely horrified. "She can't distinguish reality from her dreams. Just because she's here physically doesn't mean she's here mentally. Only physical contact will bring her back since she's deaf. I say that lovingly because I've dealt with it before. Just trust me on this. I won't get mad if you're laying there when I get home."

"You are the most relaxed husband I have ever met." He couldn't help the words that spewed out just then, but no husband would allow another man in his bed with his wife.

"Eri isn't a normal woman. If I can't make minor adjustments, then I'm not fit to spend the rest of my life with that woman. I can't live without her so I'm going to have to deal with things I can't control."

"I envy you. If only I was a few years older and I had met her first."

"She would have killed you. Now I have to go. I'll text you periodically."

Min Ho heard the other man leave and the door beeping behind him. He wasn't lying. If he had met Eri first, he would have pursued her. She wasn't your usual Korean and he liked that about her. It was one of the reasons he wanted to work with her. Since he had seen Woo Bin and Eri's deep devotion to each other, he knew he couldn't have that with her, but he wanted to be around her as much as he could. Even if it meant being her verbal punching bag,

Since she was asleep, there wasn't much he could do. It would be weird for her to wake up and find him sitting there. He got up and wandered into the main part of the house. It wasn't hideous but it wasn't clean either. The kids' toys were strewn all over the living room floor. There were a few items of clothing as well. Obviously these people didn't believe in cleaning up.

He set about picking up the room and cleaning the downstairs portion of the house. How much dirt and grime did two kids under the age of six bring in? Ahn Na was almost two and Bin Ji five. They didn't play outside enough for them to bring in that much dirt.

It took about an hour to fully clean the house. He tried to scrub the pain off the floor in the far corner, but even paint thinner wasn't going to pull it up. He left it alone then went to gather the laundry. He was very careful not to touch things that he had no business touching but that was kind of hard to do since everything was mixed together.

He was just about to start on something to eat when the doorbell rang. He was halfway across the room when he heard arguing on the other side. He hit the camera and laughed when he saw blue and red hair. The twins never fight huh?

He opened the door and leaned on the jam as he watched them bicker. They looked at him, faces brightening instantly. He raised an eyebrow that had them giving him the cheesiest grin.

"What are you two heathens doing?" he asked as he rubbed his nose.

"Ji Hoo told Hoon Eri was sick. Hoon sent us to bring coffee and make food. Now are you going to get away from the door and let us in or are we going to tango?" Junsu asked.

Min Ho stepped aside. "I can cook you know."

"That's what Ji Hoo said you'd say," Junho said as they brushed past him.

The artist watched as the twins started working as a unit as soon as they hit the kitchen. One washed and rinsed the vegetables and the other cut them. Junsu measured the water in the pot then put it on to boil. Junho pulled seasoning and dried noodles from the bag. He measured the seasoning and noodles then put them in the pot as well. Carrots, celery, chicken, greens peas and an onion followed the rest into the boiling water. The two clapped their hands free of any debris then put the lid on the pot and turned the timer on.

"Junho made bread this morning at the café before it even opened. This one is lemon. This one is melon. There are a couple of other ones from various countries. Then there's the normal one we eat on a daily basis. He went a little overboard this morning," Junsu explained.

"There's also honey bread. I've found it goes well with soup," Junho said as he placed all of them on the rack beside the fridge. "Which one do you want with your coffee?"

Min Ho pressed his lips together as he looked through the choices. He had never seen so many different types of bread in one space. He had never tried many of them so it was going to be a new experience. He pointed at the melon bread. Junho laughed and tossed it to him.

"Why did you want to be a pastier?" he asked as he sat on the barstool and tore open the wrapper.

"My dad was a pastier before we were born. He even owned his own bakery. The house smelled like bread and pastries every day. We were the taste testers for every new invention he created. I remember he made lemon cookies with cream cheese filling one day. They were piping hot when we walked in the bakery after school," Junho recollected as he rummaged through the cabinets. He had really made himself at home.

Junsu sat beside Min Ho with a cup of coffee of his own and a package of bread. "My favorites were his red velvet cupcakes. He put the classic cream cheese frosting on top with peanut butter shavings. He was the best at not only making pastries and taking care of his business. The place was always bustling, still is actually. He'd be happy."

"Would be happy? You say that like he's not around anymore," Min Ho tiptoed.

"He was killed in traffic accident when we were fifteen. Mom took over the business end of the shop and our uncle became the pastier. Now we have two shops to watch over and Mom hopes to expand later but she's waiting until we finish college so she can put us in charge."

"If you're so rich, why are you working at a coffee shop?"

"Instead of just pastries and baked goods, we also want to sell complimentary coffee for those who decide to eat in the shop. Mom doesn't have that so we figured it would make it even more profitable. We're on target to graduate next summer so we're trying to find a suitable place for the shop and other things we're going to need. Until we get situated, Mom said she'd foot the bill. After that, we're on our own," Junho added.

Min Ho let everything soak in. "How are you going to decorate? Don't both of your styles clash?"

Junsu shook his head. "No, we don't really fight, fight. We bicker like normal brothers, but we don't outright fight. As for our styles, we're pretty much alike. Our color palates are mainly the only things that differ. I like darker colors, almost monotone. Junho likes earth tones. Those can also be monotone so we normally get along based off that. But don't try to dress us alike. Mom did that until we entered elementary school."

Min Ho felt completely at ease with these two. They were very calm and serene. Junsu was obviously the younger twin. He had that air about him because every time he looked at Junho he had this certain look in his eye. It was almost like he worshiped the ground he walked on. Junho was the typical older brother, always looking out for his younger sibling. It didn't matter that they were only minutes apart; they were the quintessential older and younger brother.

The door bell broke up the silence. Junsu and Min Ho turned around to look at the annoying piece of house. Min Ho got up and went to check the screen. He knocked his forehead against the wall as he realized the one person he didn't want to see was standing outside the house. It wasn't his house so he couldn't be picky. He pushed the door open.

"Hey!" Jae Kyung greeted way too happily. It was still only nine in the morning. "Where's Eri?"

"Didn't you stop by the studio first to talk to Yi Jeong before you came here?" he asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

"The doors were locked so I looked up the address and came here. So where is she?"

"She's sick. She won't be working today. Now please leave."

"Oh, come on. I'm not that bad of a person." She went over to the bar and sat down in the spot Min Ho had just vacated. "Hi!"

Min Ho rubbed his hands over his hair agitatedly. Over her head, Junho gave him an amused look. She didn't understand that he didn't want her here because she was a hindrance. It took too much energy to deal with her. Fighting her and Eri was tiring.

"Bread!"

Junsu jerked his arm back. "Woman, I'm a gentleman, but if you touch my food, I will bite you. I don't share food so retract that hand."

"Come on! I just want a little bit!"

"Don't push him," Junho warned. "He really doesn't share his food. That's the only thing he's really defensive over. I have scars from where he's bitten me because I've tried to take his food from him."

"But don't gentlemen share their food when their lady asks him to?"

"Since when are you his lady? Are you daft or something? Can't you take a hint? When someone says to leave them alone, leave them alone. Not everyone likes to be pushed to their limit," Min Ho scolded.

Jae Kyung looked at him. "Do you always take this tone with your noonas?"

"No, but I don't consider you a noona. My noona is asleep in the other room. I don't even like you."

Junho whistled. "That's a little harsh don't you think?"

Min Ho glared at him briefly. "You don't have the decency to leave someone alone when you agitate them to the point they're slamming doors. You piss Eri off and leave the rest to us. Your demands for your artwork are so high that you're stifling her process. Nothing she does you like. You need to back off and leave her alone. And another thing, don't hang on Woo Bin and Yi Jeong. Slobbering all over men is very unbecoming."

Junsu snorted into his coffee but turned his face away to keep them from noticing. Jae Kyung just stared at Min Ho because she didn't know how to answer.

There was a knocking sound and Min Ho looked towards Eri's room. He really didn't like that noise.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I just finished crocheting a bear and now my fingers hurt. But they don't hurt enough not to write. So as I chill out with a Dr. Pepper and write, I'm going to watch my favorite KPop group rock out in Japan. So if Super Junior suddenly pops into this story, that's why.

Also, do you know how hard it is to keep my southern twang out of my stories? I'm from the Southeastern US and I talk in southern slang on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure South Koreans don't use Southern American slang. If you find it, just laugh and go on because I slipped up.

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Eri wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew she was hot. Cool air flowed over her so she was certain she had pushed the covers off her at some point. But that didn't account for why she was sweating.

She tried to sit up but something locked her into place. Woo Bin had to be at work. He had left this morning after calling Ji Hoo. She was going to kill him for that, but first she had to find out what the hell was going on.

The only thing she knew to do to figure out what was going on was to slam her fist beside her. Whatever it was that was holding her down flinched suddenly and let go. She rolled and sat on the floor to look up, scowling when she realized who it was.

Min Ho held his thigh as what were probably curse words slipped out of his mouth. He glared down at her, saying something that she couldn't quite make out. Suddenly he shifted his attention. That's when she realized he wasn't the only one in the house.

Junho got up from the chair and held out his hand. Eri stared up at him for a long moment before taking it and allowing him to pull her up. She knew she was running fever because his skin was so much cooler than hers. He walked her over to the kitchen and helped her onto a stool.

Immediately her head hit the counter, sighing as the coolness touched her cheek. She was miserable. The last time she had run this high a fever she had had complications from a surgery. Somehow she had managed to stay out of the hospital, much to Ji Hoo's objections. She loved her friend, but he wanted her to go to the hospital for every little thing. Sniffles, runny nose, a cough. He was always nagging. She vowed the next time he said anything she was going to kill him. Maybe that was why he hadn't done anything.

She felt the solid thunk of a bowl. That succeeded in making her head throb. She looked up in what she hoped was her fiercest scowl but was certain all that was there was a grimace of pain. Junho smiled apologetically and reached to tear off a hunk of bread. It steamed as he handed it to her so she knew he had just made that.

"I may have to keep you around," she muttered as she took it then dipped it straight into the soup broth.

Flavor exploded across her taste buds as she savored the first food she had been able to taste in days. This guy Hoon had hired was an expert. She was certain whatever he touched tasted like honey. In fact she knew the bread in her hand was honey bread. It complimented the flavor of the soup wonderfully and she found herself inhaling both in a matter of moments.

Without being asked Junho refilled the bowl. She smiled up at him, something that he was clearly shocked about. He looked up at Junsu and Min Ho and said the same thing to them. He turned his head which was her sign that they were coming over. Min Ho went straight for the fridge and pulled out a bottle. Eri nearly choked when she realized he had written Fizzy Lifting Drink on the bottle. The man clearly watched too much Willy Wonka.

The men talked around her as she ate. Min Ho pulled a glass off the drying rack and poured some of his Fizzy Lifting Drink into it. He slid it across the counter, saying something she didn't catch. Not that she cared. He was sharing his stuff.

"Wait," she said. All three of them looked at her. "Why is your stuff here? Why you two here?"

"Woo Bin called me this morning. Ji Hoo told them this morning. I'm supposed to be here. They just never left," Min Ho explained.

"We couldn't leave. We didn't know what you'd do," Junsu said wagging his eyebrows for emphasis.

Eri blinked at Min Ho. There was nothing he could say to that, but if he didn't explain, she was going to think he was hitting on her again. At this point he was more terrified of her than Woo Bin, but if Woo Bin thought he was trying to put the moves on her when she was sick, he wouldn't think twice about beating the hell out of him. Then there was Yi Jeong who would yank his job and funding for school. It was a losing situation for him if he didn't clear it up.

"You had a nightmare," Junho explained as Min Ho and Junsu bickered. "Min Ho was uncomfortable staying with you in your bedroom for obvious reasons so he brought you in here. But there was a circumstance we didn't account for."

She frowned as he dropped off. That made no sense. What circumstance would they not account for? Was it that bad that he couldn't say? She was about to ask when Jae Kyung flounced around the island. That made a lot more sense.

Min Ho knew the second Eri's mood tanked again. She pointed to the bread behind Junho and he turned to rip off another hunk. She angrily dropped it in the broth and set to eating again, her motions sharp and angry.

He knew this was going to happen. He turned to Jae Kyung. "Why didn't you go home when I told you to? She hates you right now," he offered.

She pouted. "Hate is such a strong word."

"Then she really, really, really doesn't like you," the twins said with him. He would have marveled at the freaky twin thing but he was just so aggravated. "There's probably a very good reason no one here wants you around. You don't listen. You think everything is about you. Can't you see she's sick?" Min Ho continued.

"Then make amends, Min."

He bristled at that name. "She is the only one allowed to call me that. You think of something else."

"All right…Ho."

Junsu burst out laughing so hard he had to clutch the counter to keep from falling in the floor. Junho and Min Ho didn't find it in the least bit funny. Eri obviously didn't either because she grabbed Jae Kyung by the collar of her shirt and started for the door. For someone who was sick, she sure had enough strength to haul someone away.

She wrenched open the door and shoved her out. The door slammed in the woman's face as the house's owner turned around and went to the chair. She grabbed the bag resting there and went back, pulling the door open far enough to toss the bag outside. She went to her room and slammed the door.

"Well," Junsu said with a smack of his lips. "Hate must not be a strong enough word."

"That woman tries all of our patience. I don't know why she's hanging around," Min Ho quipped.

"Maybe she just wants to be friends," Junho guessed.

"There's a completely different way to go about it. Antagonizing everyone isn't it." He looked at the older twin as he picked up the bowl and spoon. "What? Do you want to date her?"

"Junho likes hard women," Junsu styled with a fake flip of his red hair. "He's unusually sappy."

"And you're not?" Junho asked his brother.

The younger shrugged. "It depends on the occasion. One hundred day anniversary I'm more inclined to forget because I don't count days. Valentine's Day falls in that category as well. Maybe birthdays, but anniversaries and Christmas are different stories. I'm known to blow a few thousand Won on Christmas and anniversaries."

"It's amazing you ever have a girlfriend."

"What about you? You're always working or going to class or experimenting. How do you find the time for a girlfriend?"

"When did this turn into twin verses twin?" Min Ho wondered as he sat down to watch the show.

Something about Junho wanting to date Jae Kyung didn't sit right with him. Junho really didn't seem to be the type to date rich women. He was quiet, the complete opposite of Junsu. He didn't enter conversations unless he had something pertinent to say. He was just like Eri in that aspect.

As he thought about it, Woo Bin wouldn't have been his first choice as a mate for Eri. He had a reputation as a bad boy and playboy. Min Ho had grown up hearing all about the Mafia child of F4. He could have any woman he wanted, and yet he was snagged by a hearing impaired surgeon. Eri was the one who stopped his womanizing ways.

Jae Kyung wasn't Junho's type either. She was boisterous and fun loving. She talked ninety miles a minute and didn't think about her actions. She thought because she was friends (or sort of friends) with F4 that she could do what she wanted. She probably hadn't pestered Ji Hoo, but he was certain Yi Jeong, Woo Bin and Jun Pyo had been a victim of her incessant babble.

"Eri doesn't babble," he muttered out loud.

"Are you trying to process Jae Kyung again?" Junsu asked. "Sounds like you like her to me."

"I can barely tolerate her."

"Love and hate are two sides on the same coin."

"Have you been talking to my grandmother? She used to say the same thing whenever I broke up with a girlfriend."

"Maybe you should go on a double date with her?" Junho suggested.

Min Ho gaped at him. "How in the hell would I do that?"

"Go with Eri and Woo Bin. Woo Bin would keep his wife calm and you could control Jae Kyung. From the way I see it, those two women are cut from the same cloth. Eri is the reserved and quiet one while Jae Kyung is the wild and fun loving one. Eri can't stand being near Jae Kyung even though the latter tries her hardest to befriend the former."

"Eri doesn't make friends easily.'

"So we've noticed." Min Ho glanced at Junsu, not liking the tone he had just used. The red head backtracked quickly. "What I mean is she doesn't put her emotions out there for people to get to know them."

"That's because she doesn't understand them all the time." They all jumped when Woo Bin's voice sounded right over their shoulders. They never heard the door open or close. "She understands irritation and annoyance, which is what she feels when she's around Jae Kyung. But when it comes to acceptance and love and friendship, she's very wary because she doesn't understand them. It's only been in the last few years that she's come out of that box she lived in."

"Do you ever make any noise when you move?" Junsu asked.

Woo Bin smiled. "I'll plan everything for when Eri gets better. We'll even set a budget since you don't have as much money as the three of us do. I know it will be a handicap but there are plenty of things we can do on a budget. I'm home for the night so you can head out."

Min Ho nodded. "All right. Junho made soup this morning. He also brought some breads and made some cupcakes for the kids. They're all stored in the cabinet. Eri likes the honey bread with soup, and she can have the rest of my Fizzy Lifting Drink."

Woo Bin nodded as he tried to keep from laughing. The guys collected their stuff and said their goodbyes on the way out the door. The twins had spent the entire day with him to make sure he didn't get lonely. But how to it culminate in a double date with Eri and Woo Bin? That was something he would never understand.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: My cat has decided to she wants to help me write so if there are any random letters together, she's the one who did it. Also tonight is date night with my mom. Every Thursday we get together and watch Graceland. It's an unspoken agreement we have. I love Thursday nights almost as much as I love Monday nights and Teen Wolf.

Jayjayzek, I've only been crocheting since February. I just find things I want to make. As for cross stitch, that's something I can't do. I've tried. It ends up a nasty mess.

Also these stories are good because I can see where my readers are from and what languages everyone speaks. I wish I were bilingual but I'd get bored unless I was fully immersed in it.

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How did this turn into a triple date?

When Min Ho had showed up at the train station, he had met Eri and Woo Bin as well as Ga Eul and Yi Jeong. They had asked the newlyweds if they could watch their kids while they went out for the day. Instead of saying yes, they asked if they could join. Woo Bin couldn't tell them no because they were his friends so he had contacted Ji Hoo and asked if he would babysit since he and Kyu Lee weren't taking their son out. Once again, it was a no go. Jun Pyo and Jan Di were out of the country and Woo Bin's parents were at a benefit.

So the kids were with their parents. Ahn Na clung to Woo Bin as if he was going to drop her. Bin Ji held his mother's hand as he chattered in four year old babble. As he thought about it, it made sense for Bin Ji to come since his birthday had just passed. Eri had been sick so they hadn't been able to throw him a party. This must be their way to make up for that.

When he saw him, Bin Ji ran straight for Min Ho and monkey climbed until he was sitting on his shoulders. Not too long after he arrived, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul strode up. They looked way too lovey dovey for his taste, but if he was married he would feel the same way about his wife.

The train came and they boarded. They could have taken a cab but true to his word, Woo Bin had put a price limit on them. Since everyone had a train pass, the train was the fastest and cheapest choice.

They sat together and talked quietly about their plans for the day. Min Ho wondered why Jae Kyung wasn't with them. Woo Bin, the bearer of infinite knowledge, said she was going to meet them there because she had some business to take care of beforehand. He also said he had told her not to bring her credit cards.

Bin Ji sat in his lap with his head pressed against his chest. He was getting excited, babbling about animals. He took Min Ho's hands and began clapping them together as he sang a song he just made up.

Min Ho took the time to watch the couples. Ga Eul and Yi Jeong were content to talk about how their jobs were going and what they wanted to do next month for their vacation time. They were always up for anything fun and memorable. It was how their relationship had matured over time.

But it was the couple sitting across from them that kept his attention. Woo Bin had Ahn Na sitting across his lap with her curly head pressed to his shoulder. He had one ear bud sticking out of his right ear and it linked him to Eri. She sat pressed against his side with her left hand securely in his and her head on his shoulder. On the surface no one would be able to tell that this couple had some major differences.

That's what made them the strongest couple out of F4. Jun Pyo and Jan Di had had their issues when they had been dating, but it had all been from outside influences like Jun Pyo's mother. The Songs had to deal with internal influences, namely Eri's disability. Eri didn't let it stop her but it made it harder for them to talk about certain things because she didn't understand them. But with the help of Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo, she was able to live a normal life with her husband and children.

The train stopped at their station and they disembarked. Bin Ji ran to his parents and took Eri's free hand. She looked down at him and smiled, squeezing his hand and pulling him close. Min Ho had to smile. The kid loved his mother over everything.

He checked his watch once again as they came to the gates of the park. She was late, something he wasn't surprised about. He should be used to that. His sister was always late to every family function they had. Even though they were twins, they were completely different.

Someone slammed into his back. He jerked around hoping Jae Kyung had been the one attacking him. Unfortunately it wasn't her. He had the wrong body parts to be a girl. Dressed down in jeans and light t-shirts, Junsu and Junho were definitely not Jae Kyung. Their red and blue hair were very vibrant in the summer sun.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" he demanded.

"Eri dropped by the café last night and said you were going out. I couldn't believe so I had to come see for myself. As of right now, I'm right," Junsu laughed.

"You really hate me, don't you?"

"Quite the contrary. I actually like you. I just want to see if this actually works out. Let's see if you fall in love."

"You're already in love," Junho said to his brother. "Only this time she's off limits."

Min Ho looked sharply at Junsu as he rubbed his head with an uneasy smile on his face. What was Junho talking about?

Right at that moment, Jae Kyung called to them from across the street. He winced as she bounded up to them. She had taken Woo Bin's advice and dressed for a long day out in the sun. She was wearing essentially the same thing as Ga Eul and Eri; cute and to the point.

She made her first mistake by getting right in Eri's face. The woman turned her head behind Woo Bin's shoulder to alleviate some of the discomfort. Woo Bin put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're way too close," he scolded lightly. She backed up with a smile. "I'm not your date today. Min Ho is. I expect you to behave. No wild antics."

"Come on, Woo Bin. I need to have a little bit of fun," she whined just a bit.

"You've caused enough trouble these last few weeks," Yi Jeong added. "We didn't invite you out to be a nuisance. You need to get on Min Ho's good side so you can get on hers. So far you're nil for four. Keep it up and she'll refuse to work with you ever."

"But she's the best eclectic artist I've ever found."

"She's also the most emotionally unstable artist you've ever found. Don't push her. Take the day and get to know Min Ho. He's your best bet. We won't help you." Yi Jeong led Ga Eul into the park, paying their admission as soon as they went through.

Woo Bin smiled once then led his family into the park after his friends. Bin Ji started laughing. Min Ho looked at Junsu then walked over to Jae Kyung. She smiled at him, pushing her hair behind her ear. She was trying to flirt but he wasn't in the mood for it just yet. She hadn't made the best impression just yet.

"Should we go?" she asked.

He nodded and followed her to the gate. He had pulled out enough money from his account so he could pay the fare. After handing her the ticket, she snagged his wrist and tugged her to craziest, wildest rides in the park. He wasn't afraid of heights but he didn't like speed. It was one of the reasons he didn't drive. He didn't want to be in control of something that could go from zero to sixty in ten seconds.

He was shaking when she got him on a roller coaster. She made sure they sat in the front seat of the front car. He wanted to strangle her right then but Junsu was right behind him. If he screamed like a girl or cowered, the red haired bastard was never going to let him live it down.

After a minute and a half of pure torture, Min stepped back on to solid ground. He gripped the railing and tried to ease the shaking. Jae Kyung stepped down beside him and hit him in the back. He shrugged her hand off and walked a little ways away from her. Of course, she followed him. That's when his temper erupted.

"This is why she doesn't like you! You don't know when to back off!" He stormed away from her.

Five minutes. That was all it took for him to begin to hate her all over again. He had told her he didn't like fast things like roller coasters and the pirate ship swing thing, but like usual she didn't care what he said. She only wanted to do what she wanted to do. Damn what anyone else said. It was all about her. This was why he never hung out with rich kids.

He sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. He shouldn't have agreed to do this. He wanted Eri to do the artwork because she was a great surgeon-turned-artist. It had nothing to do with the money. He wanted her to do it because it helped alleviate her stress. All he'd done was add to it.

A cold water bottle was pressed to his face. He looked up expecting to see Junsu or Junho. Wrong again. It was Jae Kyung. She smiled down at him then sat down beside him. They didn't say anything for a long while.

"I know I'm putting a lot of pressure on her," Jae Kyung said, "but I've never met anyone like her. She doesn't understand what she's feeling and yet she can make these beautiful pieces of artwork that I haven't seen anyone attempt. When I asked Yi Jeong why he didn't have more available, he said because it wasn't the right time. I didn't understand what that means. I still don't."

"Art is an expression of what a personal is feeling. It's why expressionism is so popular. An artist came put a smear of paint on a canvas and say it's envy or anger. I can do that. Even you can, but Eri can't. There's a disconnect from her heart and her mind that registers emotions. Luckily her hands are between those two organs so they can do most of the work," he explained.

"You've really immersed yourself in their lives have you?"

"I wasn't going to at first, but after I got to know them; after I got to know her, I couldn't walk away. Once she's your friend, she's fiercely protective. She may not look like it, but she's very perceptive. Sometimes I think she's always two steps ahead of everyone and just waiting for us to catch up."

"How can I get in her good graces?"

He didn't mean to laugh sardonically but that's how it came out. "Do you really think she'll change her mind that easily?"

"No, but I want to make amends for the things I've said and done. I'm not sure how I do that?"

Min Ho wasn't sure what possessed him to come up with a reason but he wanted to actually help her. He remembered when he thought Eri was going to kill him. It took him a couple of weeks before he ever got the courage to talk to her. In the end she hadn't hated him. She'd actually invited him into her family.

"You should come by the studio one day and just watch. Don't ask questions or hover, just watch. You'll get to see a lot of the behind the scenes things that not everyone understands. I'll have to run it by Yi Jeong since it's his place, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't do anything stupid."

Jae Kyung flashed a smile at him. Suddenly age came into his mind. If she was the same age as F4, then she was four or five years older than him. He didn't know if he should call her noona or not.


	7. Chapter 7

Eri and Yi Jeong stared at a huge canvas board, completely boring Jae Kyung. How long were they going to watch that one place? She had showed up just as Min Ho had said and sat at the back of the studio. He had said that she would have to be quiet as the two worked. Yi Jeong didn't normally mind the noise, but when he was with Eri, he was extra cautious.

None of it made any sense to her. These guys took extra care of one person. After their date the other day, they had met up a couple of times to discuss what would happen when they sat in the studio. Min Ho was a great source of information. He could tell her whatever she wanted to know unless it was too sensitive.

He wasn't a bad guy. He was quiet and kind and used to the craziness of this group of people. He was very protective and quick to anger if his friends were the subject. He was very defensive of Eri and it seemed he had more than brotherly feelings for her.

"What are you feeling?" she heard Yi Jeong ask. He was leaning close to Eri so she could see his mouth.

Jae Kyung looked at Min Ho for an explanation. He laughed. "Since she can't explain what she's feeling, he always puts up a blank canvas. Then he tells her to do what she must. It always works, but it takes some time."

Eri turned on her heel and walked to the store room across the hall. She returned with a hammer, nails and a bunch of spools of twine. Yi Jeong didn't have to be told what to do. He took the hammer and nails and started putting them around the perimeter of the canvas. He made sure the nails didn't stick out too far. He wasn't even finished when Eri started tying the twine around the nail. She criss crossed them across the canvas, hooking them to other nails and repeating the process.

It took thirty minutes with the two of them working together. Red, blues, white, green, and yellow twine crossed and meshed and made an interesting array of color. But Eri wasn't done. She took the remaining twine and the hammer back to the store room then returned with spray paint and a couple of masks. Pulling the mask over her face, she shook the can then popped the cap. Yi Jeong donned the second mask as he shook the other can. Simultaneously they dispensed their canisters on the canvas.

Jae Kyung was mesmerized. The two moved in harmony. Yi Jeong always knew where Eri was going to move and he compensated for it. He touched her very gently to let her know he was behind her. It was an intricate dance that only the two of them knew.

Min Ho knew the second Jae Kyung understood what was going on. She was seeing firsthand what they dealt with on a regular basis. None of it was bad but it all wasn't good at the same time. Eri was an enigma only a few chosen could figure out. Yi Jeong just happened to be one of them.

He couldn't help but the emotions that kind of popped up whenever he sat and watched. Eri was so welcoming once you got under that hard outer shell. She would go out of her way to help her friends. Not even his own family would do that. That was the reason he felt so strongly towards her. She had defended him when his family would have left him to be slaughtered by the people opposing him.

Yi Jeong and Eri were his friends, his best friends. He didn't have anyone else he could call that. But he wished he had been four years earlier. If he had known them four years earlier, he could have put up a fight against Woo Bin to have her as his wife. But he couldn't do that now. No matter how he felt about her, he wouldn't break up her family.

He heard the front door open. Once again the twins invaded the space he was. Junsu's hair was blond now. Junho's had changed as well, now a russet brown instead of blue. The younger twin bounded over to the two working friends and passed off cups of coffee. Eri stared at him as he spoke quickly. There was a slight flush to his cheeks as he spoke.

Junho sighed. "He's at it again." He ran his hand through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" Min Ho asked.

"The rank bastard. Hey! Junsu! Quite playing and come on. We have to get back to work. Hoon says we can't waste too much time."

Junsu waved back to his brother seconds before he said something. Before he could get too far away from them, Eri grabbed his hand. He turned back and she held up her hands in the universal sign for wait as she walked to the far side of the studio. She picked up a huge canvas then returned, handing it off to Junsu.

"Hoon wanted this last time he was here," Yi Jeong said. "It's been on the wall at the gallery. I refused to sell it after he said he liked it. Tell him it's a gift."

Eri's face brightened in some sort of remembrance before she went off again, this time into a room at the far end of the studio. It took longer to find whatever she was looking for. When she returned she had two boxes in her hand. Junsu took one off her hands and read the letter scrawled across the frame as Eri walked by him and handed the last one to his twin.

"In this life we will never be apart," Junsu read.

"For we grew to the same beat of our mother's heart," Junho finished.

"Daphne Fandrich," Yi Jeong said. "I don't even want to know how you found that or where you got the wood for those boxes."

Eri nodded at Junho. "I never had a twin, but my brother and I are very close even though we're three thousand miles away. I made these thinking of him and you." She rocked back on her heels and shoved her hands into her back pockets.

Junsu couldn't make any words so he just nodded and walked out the door. Min Ho understood what Junho had said. He caught his arm before he walked away.

"How long have you known Eri?" he asked.

"Since she moved here," Junho replied before he shrugged his hand off and followed his twin.

Min Ho knew what Junsu was going through. What would have happened if Junsu had said something first? Everything would be totally different. F4 would be out of reach and he wouldn't be working with someone he respected. Eri wouldn't be his friend and would probably still be a surgeon. She wouldn't have Bin Ji or Ahn Na and she wouldn't have Woo Bin.

"Hey, Min Ho," Yi Jeong called across the room. "Help us clean up and we'll get something to eat."

He couldn't say no so he got up started to help clean. It was usually his job anyway. He moved Eri out of the way as he picked up the big canvas and moved it into the kiln room. He brought out a broom and started to sweep the floor as the other two changed.

By the time he was done, they were ready. Eri watched him as he walked across the room, her head tilted slightly to the right. What was she thinking? Yi Jeong looked down at her and tried to read her but she was closed off from him as well. She turned on her heel and headed out of the studio, Jae Kyung hot on her heels.

The two men stared at each other for the longest moment. They both knew what had just happened and neither had the desire to talk about it again. If they did, it made it real. But he couldn't leave it alone.

"Did you know?" he asked, his voice breaking just a bit. "Did you know about Junsu?"

"I had an idea but by the time I realized it, Eri was already bonding with Woo Bin. Junsu saw it and decided to take a step back. Seeing her everyday was hard but he still became her friend. That's why she made those boxes," Yi Jeong replied.

"Eri knows how he feels?"

The potter nodded. "She knew, and I'm sure if Woo Bin hadn't come around, it would have been Junsu she ended up with. He's just that good to her. Or you if you had met her first. There's no way of knowing right now because she's made her choice. Junsu has to get on with his life, as do you so make the most of your time. You never know who's waiting on the other side of that door."

"You sound like an old man."

Yi Jeong laughed as he walked past him. They caught up with the girls outside and headed for the little bistro down the street. European restaurants were becoming even more popular now and this place had just opened up. It was doing well so Yi Jeong thought to make everyone feel better by treating them to lunch.

He led them into the shop and over to a table for four. He held a chair out for Eri and waited for her to sit before sitting beside her. He smiled when Min Ho refused to do the same courtesy for Jae Kyung. The boy was still a little standoffish from the woman but he was easing up.

They were trying to understand each other. It was the reason Jae Kyung had been able to come to the studio. They had made some sort of deal that involved her being quiet while she was around. Min Ho seemed to be able to tolerate her even more than he had in the beginning. Now he was able to sit beside her and not cringe.

Eri tugged on his arm. When he turned toward her, she snagged the pen on the inside of his jacket. He watched her scribble something down on a napkin then turn it to him.

" _Should we set them up again? I think it's working."_ When he shook his head, she retracted the square and scribbled again. For a French nationalist, she had expert penmanship when it came to Korean. _"He needs to be happy."_

He took the pen from her and scribbled under hers. _"He will be. Just give it time."_ She scowled at him. "What do you want to eat?" he asked aloud. She pointed at a sandwich on the menu. "A club? That's very unlike you."

"I'm not really hungry," she replied, hands and all.

"Your stomach must be full from the coffee," Min Ho said.

"Does she eat more than this normally?" Jae Kyung asked.

Eri shook her head, finding it pertinent to answer because if she didn't, they would make up something. "It's hit or miss on how much I eat. I've never been a big eater to begin with. Some days I eat all day long. Some days I pick at it. Then there are days when I don't eat at all. Those days everyone gets mad at me."

"Coffee is not a sufficient source of sustenance," Min Ho argued. "There are times when I want to strangle you for thinking that."

Yi Jeong shook his head. "You're never going to win this fight. I gave up a long time ago."

Eri waved her hand to shut them up. "I've been eating. Junho brings breads over every few days. Lately honey bread and melon bread are the only two I can tolerate since I was sick. Oh, and soups. Woo Bin's gotten really good at making soups. Beef and chicken are his best ones."

The potter watched with his chin propped in his hand as Min Ho let that sink in. The happy light that always filled his eyes when he was around Eri dimmed just a little more. He was finally starting to let go of those feelings the more and more he realized this was how she lived.

"Noona, do I need to call him for some more?" he asked after clearing his throat.

Eri shook her head. "No, Woo Bin does. Or he just shows up with them. I'd like it better if he just showed up with a cake or something."

Yi Jeong rolled his eyes. "You eat more sweets than anyone I have ever met."

"That's because a sweetheart has to replenish."

Everyone looked up as Woo Bin appeared over Eri's shoulder. His huge hand covered her cheek as he leaned down and kissed her. Pulling back, he smiled at her as he rubbed his thumb against her cheek.

"Hello, Yaebo," he said. She leaned her face in his hand in response. He looked up at them. "Can I kidnap my wife for the rest of the afternoon?"

"She's your wife. You can do whatever you want with her." Yi Jeong held his finger up as a warning. "Within reason."

Woo Bin drew his wife up and into his side. "I have never placed my hand on a woman in an untoward manner. Now if you'll excuse us. We'll see you at the house. Ga Eul has the kids."

Jae Kyung watched them walk off arm in arm. "So that's what it feels like?" The men looked at her. "I never thought I'd see anything like that. My parents loved me and each other, but I've never really felt that way, not even for Jun Pyo."

"Maybe you just haven't found the right one yet. Chasing after Mr. Wrong is a great way to lose Mr. Right," Min Ho said as he looked out the window.

As they continued their conversation, Yi Jeong wondered how long it would take them to realize they liked each other more than they let on.


	8. Chapter 8

Min Ho sat with Junsu in a book store of all places. They could have gone to Dragon Café but Junho was working. It seemed Junsu didn't want his brother around for the conversation they were going to have.

He had called Min Ho out the evening before because he said he wanted to talk to him. No, not wanted; that he needed to talk to him something about the way he said it made Min Ho feel that the man was suffering almost as much as he was, or maybe more.

Over the last month since Jae Kyung had been coming around, the twins had sought Min Ho out more and more. At first he had thought they were just twins that fought all the time, but it was just the opposite. They were fun and crazy and only bickered instead of outright fighting. They loved to laugh and pick on people.

But underneath that fun exterior lay the true person. Twins were always different even if they were identical. Junho was very gentle; had to be because of the pastries and breads he made. Being older by five minutes meant he felt responsible, but that responsibility didn't come out in anger. It came out in food and drink. He made sure those he loved were cared for.

Junsu was wickedly smart. Under that happy smile was a man who was very uncertain in his own abilities. He looked to his brother to give him the confidence he needed. He was always the one who was quick to speak and slow to anger, but he was just as protective of his friend. He knew numbers and figures and anything else math related. He even kept the books for Hoon from time to time.

Both men, though fiercely loyal to each other and their loved ones, were aching for something more. There was only so much brothers could get from each other. They wanted their own families, and it seemed to Junsu that he had missed that ship.

So here they were, sitting in a book store with a cup of coffee. Min Ho looked at Junsu. The blond man was so downtrodden he simply flipped through his school book. He had taken on a summer course so he could graduate sooner. He was trying to get into his family's business quickly, but he was hiding what he was feeling. Min Ho was reminded of someone else.

He wanted to ask so badly what was going through his mind. Junsu was never this quiet. He always wanted to talk, but having him sitting here with his nose in a book meant he was about to give up. Min Ho understood that. The first girlfriend he had ever had had been in high school. He still remembered her name after ten year. Lee Sung Ji. Her father had worked with his and they had met at a work function. Their parents had pushed them together in hopes that an early engagement would ensue.

They had dated a year before talks of engagement became serious. He didn't want to get married at a young age because he was expected to go into business like his father and his brothers would. His sister Min Hae would be marrying up and working in whatever field she thought was best for her, but him and his brothers Oh Rin and Cha Ohn would be forced to go into business. Min Ho hated business so the first thing he did was apply to an art school.

Sung Ji had been for it, but her parents hadn't been thrilled. They wanted their future son-in-law to be a businessman not a struggling artist. So they had gone to his father and started to renegotiate the terms of their relationship. In the end he had lost Sung Ji to his second brother Cha Ohn. She had been forced to break up with him and had started dating Cha Ohn four months later. They married as soon as she was out of high school.

Since then Min Ho hadn't really started looking at women. Min Hae had always told him that no one could love an artist because they were too fickle. They were ever changing as the wind. He never understood what she meant until he met Eri. Devoid of the ability to understand emotions, she was ever changing, but it was a good thing. She was able to see things others couldn't and help them overcome their difficulties. It was one of the big things that drew him to her, why he loved being by her side. She would always give him a look that told him he was being an ass.

His phone buzzed with a new text message. He swiped the screen and read the lovely thing Eri had left him.

" _Min, is there any way you can stop by the art store on your way back to the studio? Yi Jeong is being burdensome and won't let me leave. He says it's too hot for me to be out. I'm pretty sure he will melt before I do."_

He laughed, drawing Junsu's attention. "Eri's making fun of Yi Jeong."

Junsu shook his head. "She's always up to something."

Min Ho nodded and answered back _. "What do you need?"_

The reply was instantaneous, like she already had it typed before he answered. _"Plexiglas, etching tools, acrylic paint, black acrylic paint, sponges, and paint thinner."_

"That's going to cost a fortune," he muttered before the next message came in. _"Put it on my tab."_

"That makes me feel so much better." He sent back a quick reply then set his phone down. "Why do I have to be her errand boy?"

"Because you agreed to it," Junsu said as he flipped the page.

Finally having a way to talk to the man, Min Ho tucked his phone back into his pocket. He closed his book and picked up his coffee cup. He studied Junsu over the lid, making sure he memorized everything that was going on in his face.

"Quit staring at me," Junsu scolded. "It's very annoying."

"When are you going to talk about why you called me out? I gave up a nice day at home to come out with you. Now what's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Do I have to always tell you things when I'm obviously trying to give off a stand-off position?"

"Did you invite me out just so you didn't have to sulk alone?"

Junsu slammed his book closed and leaned over the table. "What, Min Ho? What do you want me to say?"

"What you're feeling would be nice. I'm not your brother. I can't read your emotions. You'll have to tell me what you're feeling instead of hiding behind your book and work. I deal with this all the time, and sometimes it's very tiring, but I can't ask because she has a hard time talking about it. But you can speak and have a full grasp on your emotions."

They stared at each other. Junsu was going to try to hide everything he was feeling because he knew Min Ho was close to Eri. That was the part he hated the most. He was friends with Min Ho who was the adopted little brother to Eri, and she called him Min just like she called Junsu Su and Junho Jun.

"Why didn't you make a move first?" he blurted. That was the only way to get him to talk.

Junsu sighed before rubbing his face. He took a sip of his coffee then played with the cup for a good long moment. Min Ho watched as he collected himself. He was having a hard time just saying everything.

"I met Eri at the hospital," he said. "Hoon's daughter was in the pediatric ward and I was in charge of the coffee shop while he was with her during the evenings. Hoon called me to bring the nurses and doctors coffee. She was the first person I ran into when I stepped off the elevator. There was something about her. I couldn't place it at first, but as I got to know her, I understood her. The wall she put up wasn't a wall to keep everyone out. It was a wall to keep herself protected."

Min Ho listened as he talked with abandon. "Eri didn't grow up with a solid family behind her. She was told to quit crying or to shut up. Only her brother and grandparents. She experienced love but never understanding. Those who wanted her to be successful only wanted to see her fall. But she triumphed and that made everyone mad."

"When did you fall in love with her?"

"I wasn't the only one. Junho did as well but he's better at hiding all of that. Eri first spoke to me when she asked about Hoon and his girl after she had been discharged. It was then I knew that she wasn't the cold hearted person everyone claimed her to be. When it came to children, she was kind and warm. When she was well, Hoon's daughter came to the shop often to visit. Eri would always play with her. Something glowed inside her that made us all – Hoon, his child, all of us – want to be closer to her, to protect her. By the time I found the courage to tell her, she was already with Woo Bin."

He continued as he stared out the window. "Junho lashed out after he saw her with Woo Bin. He shattered six bowls on purpose by throwing them at the wall. Junho never tells anyone what he's feeling. He's worse than I am. All he wants is to be happy, but he's shy so he never tells the girl how he feels. He can make friends easy but he has a hard time trusting them. He never told Eri how he felt either so we had each other to lean on when she married Woo Bin."

"She can sense your emotions you know?" Min Ho said. "She may not understand her own, but she can sense everyone else's. It's how she knows what to do. It's why she gave you two those boxes. She understands what it means to have a brother stand beside you. Francesco, whom I never met, was that for her. She probably thinks you're lucky because you have a twin. You were born together; you've lived together your whole lives. Even now, you two are together. She probably kind of envies that even if she doesn't realize it."

He looked Junsu in the eye. "Do you ever think of snatching her away?"

Junsu's smile was sad as he looked at the table. "If she would go, I would, but she loves Woo Bin. Then there's Woo Bin. He would knock the hell out of me if I so much as tried."

"Even if she were available, I'm not sure she would accept us. We understand only a portion of what she goes through internally."

"How can you talk about emotions and internal strife when you've been nursed all your life?"

Min Ho turned and scowled at who was standing at his table. Shorter than Eri, his sister stood at about five feet six. She wore a scowl that mirrored his, and anyone could tell they were from the same family. Anyone with a decent eye could tell they were twins.

"What do you want, Min Hae?" he demanded.

"I was coming in for a cup of coffee, and low and behold I see my brother sitting here with another man. Is he your lover?" she retorted.

"You know I'm straight as a line, so why would you say that? This is Kim Junsu, a friend."

"How am I supposed to know if you're straight? You're an artist and things are always weird with artists."

"Do you ever say anything that's not snotty?" Junsu asked. Min Hae turned her sneer to him. "Do you even know what you're brother spends his day doing? He works with one of the richest women in South Korea on a daily basis and you come here to snarl at him? Do you know how stupid that is? Oh, and let's not forget that his girlfriend is pretty wealthy too."

Min Ho wanted to strangle Junsu at that moment. There was no way Min Hae was going to believe that since it wasn't true. He and Jae Kyung, though they got along better now, there was nothing between them other than friendship. Well, he couldn't say that for his part. He was slowly coming to realize that that woman was growing on him. He thought about what idiocy she was going to get into when she came to the studio.

Junsu stood, going toe to toe with Min Hae. He drew himself up to his full height, which happened to be four inches taller than Min Hae. "You have no idea how stupid you'll feel when the entire family comes around. Trust me. The power of F4 thrums throughout this entire place, and your brother – your twin – is in the thick of it. So make fun of him all you want. Call him gay. I'll gladly be his lover until you realize the mistake you have made. But when you do; when your entire family realizes that the youngest son has the most power, you will have already lost him because family doesn't end in blood." His temper had roiled to a head. Min Hae had nothing on it.

He made a tsking sound as he moved his head towards the door. Min Hae glared at him once again before sneering at her brother and going to the counter. Junsu gathered his things and motioned for Min Ho to follow him out. Once they were safely on the sidewalk outside, he sighed.

"You were nervous going up against Min Hae. She's got power in society since her husband is one of the board members at Woo Bin's construction company. She can cause a ruckus that will hinder your marriage prospects," Min Ho said as they walked down the sidewalk.

"But we have a trump card. We have the Song family on our side, and the Songs run that construction company," Junsu replied. "I'm sure once you tell Eri what happened she won't have any remorse on your sister."

"She already doesn't like her. She doesn't like it when families abandon their own flesh and blood. It's why she calls me her little brother. I'm sure you two are her little brothers as well."

He noticed Junsu smiled as he let that sink in. Finally, something that made him happy.


	9. Chapter 9

Jae Kyung was slightly terrified. She hadn't been planning anything special for the day until she received a call from Woo Bin to come to the studio. It was odd for Woo Bin to say anything because the studio didn't belong to him. He was the friend of the studio and nothing more. But since he had called her first, she had showered and gotten ready so she could go meet him.

She stopped by Starbucks and picked up two coffees and a few pastries to share. She hadn't hung out with Woo Bin since she had returned to South Korea a few months ago. Woo Bin had always been out of reach because he hadn't been interested in her. She remembered him and Yi Jeong trying to get her to break up with Jun Pyo when they were engaged. She had worn them out by shopping and dragging them to eateries they would never frequent. Since she had left, they hadn't kept in contact.

But there was something that Yi Jeong and Woo Bin valued more than her friendship. They were gentle men when it came to the fairer sex but one person had taken all of that and warped it into something much stronger. If all of F4 were here, and the three wives, this family would be at its full strength. Then there were the three brothers that had been adopted in. Cho Min Ho and Kim Junho and Junsu had been brought into the tight knit family because they were good men and Eri loved being around them. They were usually the first line of defense before all of F4 united. They weren't minions of F4 like people thought they were. They were family.

She stopped outside the studio doors and stared at it. Inside was the one place where the family was at its strongest. It was the one place where every emotion was laid bare and everyone could say what they were feeling through art. It was covered in paint and clay and whatever else they used in there. They were calmest in that room.

She opened the door and ventured in, calling for Woo Bin. The man didn't answer so she walked on in. Woo Bin looked over his shoulder as she dropped her bag to clean table and ventured forth. He shook his head when she offered him some coffee then looked forward again.

Eri was sitting on the floor with a huge piece of Plexiglas towering over her. The top half was etched and painted. She was working on the other half slowly. She had a bandana tied over her head to keep the paint out of her hair as she worked. Her hands were steady as she dipped the brush in the paint then pulled it across the glass.

Woo Bin pushed off the table and strode out of the studio, leaving the women alone. Jae Kyung gaped after him as he left. She was going to be alone with a woman who couldn't care less if she liked her or not.

Eri finished and sat back to look at the work she had just completed. She looked up and double checked everything that was drying to make sure there weren't any white spots. Satisfied she stood up. She was covered in paint but she never looked more attractive, and Jae Kyung wasn't interested in women.

"You came," she said as she set the paint can down on the table.

"Woo Bin called and said he wanted to meet up," Jae Kyung muttered.

"He called on my behalf. I wanted to meet you but since I can't hear, he called. Please sit. I have the studio for the day. Since you're here, Min, Bin and Yi can take the day off."

"Do you have to have a chaperone?"

"Until I pass my hearing test, yes. They're afraid that if I'm alone here, something will happen." She looked at the second coffee in the woman's hand. "Is that for me?"

Jae Kyung looked at the cups in her hand. "One was for Woo Bin, but since he's gone, it's yours."

Eri nodded and took the cup then pulled herself onto the table. She swung her legs as she stared at the glass. "What do you see?"

The other woman looked at the glass. The colors were vibrant, making the black stand out. The black was used as a border and was dispersed about the glass. Red, yellow, green, blues, pinks, gray, and white covered the glass in an array. A starburst array is what it looked like.

"It's a universe," she said. "I see stars, galaxies of stars. It explodes as it goes outward but on the inside there's a black hole where no light can penetrate." She looked over at Eri to see a slight smile on her face. "What?"

"The black hole represents all of us. There're twelve adults, hence the twelve huge stars. The cluster is all of us, united by choice and thrown together by chance. We glow bright as a unit. The saying goes united we stand, divided we fall." Eri tilted her head. "That black hole is everything we feel. There's no light, no wind, just swirling emotions that can be accessed from time to time. It's like a glass box, only it's dark and cold."

"Are you dark and cold? Is that how you're feeling right now?"

She thought a moment then shook her head. "No. I haven't been dark and cold for a while. Dimmed and chilled maybe from time to time, but never dark and cold. I don't have the luxury to be dark and cold. My family needs me too much for me to do that."

"Do you ever talk to your parents?"

"No, I'd rather not. I haven't spoken to them in four years. There's no point when it just upsets us all. My kids have grandparents that love and cherish them. I won't mess with them. That's one thing that will make me lose my temper."

Jae Kyung handed her the bag of pastries and they ate in silence as they stared at the drying artwork. This wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be. The other woman was calm and relaxed today. It seemed she had gotten over her hatred, if it could be called that.

"Have you thought about Min Ho?" she asked suddenly. The heiress looked at her. "We set you up so Min Ho could forget about me. Now, how do you feel about him?"

"He's a good man," she said without thinking.

It was an instinct. She never lied about people and their emotions. Min Ho was a good man. He was kind and thoughtful but fierce at the same time. He was all man he rivaled Woo Bin. She had been close enough to him to smell him, and he had that musk of man. He was an emotional artist but he didn't lash out unless he needed to do so. He was loyal and diligent with a kind spirit.

"By the look on your face I can tell you like him," Eri said. She slid off the table and padded to the kiln room. She returned with a group of canvasses and handed her the first. "He painted this not too long ago. He was in a particularly foul mood when he did so."

The canvas was black on its borders, but on the interior it was the moon. A perfect sphere that had the dips and valleys of the real moon. Behind it were the sun's rays in vibrant yellows and oranges. It was a solar eclipse, the moment when the moon passes over the sun and blocks it for a time. His sunny exterior had been eclipsed by something dark.

"He always dates his work. This was the day after you showed up here at the studio, the day he first met you."

She handed her the second. This one was of a river with its banks flooded. He had painted the downpour that forced the river out of its banks. But it was the broken bridge that caught her attention. It had been shattered just out of the scene, but she could see the way it floated away from its base.

Jae Kyung flipped it over. "This is dated after the day I came to your house."

"He wasn't very happy that day either. You were treading on sacred ground in his view."

The third one was dated the day after the amusement park. Fear was evident in this one. She remembered she had forced him to go on a ride he hadn't wanted to. He had yelled at her afterwards but then had become human again after she had sat down and talked to him.

The fourth one followed closely after the fourth. It was the day she had come to visit the studio while Eri and Yi Jeong had worked. It was the day she had finally realized how close F4 had become due to that woman. She was kind and gentle but firm. She was the one everyone clung to when they needed strength. She had seen the way Eri treated her brothers even though she knew nothing about their feelings for her. Junsu and Junho were now considered her family no matter what anyone said.

"He and I aren't too different. He understands his emotions and puts them down on the canvas. I sometimes don't understand mine or anyone else's but it doesn't matter. It always ends up here." Eri tapped the canvas on the table. "It's how I know how he feels. I don't have to hear it. I can see it."

"He looks up to you. He thinks you hung the moon and stars," Jae Kyung said.

"I think he's pretty great too, but he's my little brother. I'll never see him as anything more. But you on the other hand can. He can rely on you."

"He won't give me the time of day."

"Oh on the contrary. Song Construction is hosting a party in two days. All of Min Ho's family has been invited. His father So Un will bring his wife Lee Mae Lin. His eldest son Oh Rin will bring his wife Lee Sung Ji, ex-girlfriend of Min Ho. Cha Ohn will be with his fiancé, and Min Hae will bring her husband Choi Tae Min. I will be going with Woo Bin, obviously, and the rest of F4 will be in attendance. Junsu and Junho will be there as well. Min Ho has been invited."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because Min Ho's family will try to embarrass him. He's an artist instead of a business man. They look down upon him for it. He won't say anything to them, but if you were to be his date, they can't say anything to you."

"What if they tried?"

There was an evil glint in the other woman's eyes. "No one would go against me, wife to the VP and mother to the heir of Song Construction. Plus I have F4 at my backing. Have you ever seen the full force of eight men and women when they are united in one cause?"

"Let's not forget the twins."

"Of course not. Make sure you wear something nice. We're all going to be jaw dropping, especially me. I need women who look as equally dashing."

"You sure are hateful when you need to be."

Eri shook her head. "No, I'm just a better negotiator. Don't tell Min Ho. He'll fight me, and I'd hate to have to hand him over to Woo Bin and Yi Jeong to get what I want. He won't stand a chance with them. I'd hate for them to get into a fight, because Woo Bin will beat the hell out of him just to give me what I want."

Jae Kyung knew it was true. Woo Bin would do whatever Eri wanted and beating Min Ho was one of them. He would rough him up a little then put him in the best clothes available to parade him around the group of people. Then Eri's plan would come into play and everyone would never say anything again. She really was a devious little minx when she needed to be.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** This is the last chapter. I had fun writing. As usual give me some more ideas for the series if you want it to continue.

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Min Ho tugged nervously at the bow tie tied securely around his neck. How had he been brought along on this insane trip? He had been content to stay at home and read. But no, his friends weren't going to let him.

Yi Jeong and Woo Bin had kidnapped him that afternoon and had taken him shopping. He didn't shop and the two men expected him to pick out a suit for a party. He had never been to a function that required him to dress up. Even though his parents owned his own company and worked at a huge conglomerate, he had never gone to one of their company parties like they asked. After a while they had just quit asking.

They had shaken him up then taken him home with explicit instructions not to get anything on the suit and to be at the Juniper Hotel at seven with his invitation. Once again, he had argued that he didn't want to go, but the best friends weren't having it. Woo Bin had then threatened him that if he didn't shut up and just show up, he was going to imprison him in his house for a week. Min Ho hadn't thought that was too bad, but then he had remembered they had two kids living in the house. He would be babysitting.

So around six, he had gotten ready for the evening. Woo Bin was a little bit scarier than his wife simply because he was a second degree black belt in so many forms of martial arts. He could kick his butt any time he so desired. Thankful for a small head, he slipped the bow tie over his head then tucked it under his collar. He looked at himself in the mirror before grabbing his phone and leaving.

It was so hot outside he started sweating immediately. A sleek black car pulled up to the curb as he was about to make his way to the bus stop. He stopped for a moment as the driver rolled down the passenger window.

"Mr. Song requested you be picked up so you don't have to walk in this heat," he said.

Not one to argue when the words Mr. Song were uttered, he opened the back door and slid into the air conditioned backseat. Once the door was closed securely, the car pulled away from the curb and onto the street.

The Juniper Hotel was in the center Gangnam. It was rivaled by the hotel chains that had moved in when the city was expanding. It was one of the hotels Shinhwa Group owned so it made sense for them to have the party at the hotel. But it didn't mean Min Ho wanted to go. He was very uncomfortable in big group scenarios.

All too soon, the car pulled up under the awning and stopped. A bellhop opened his door and welcomed him. He took a deep breath as soon as he stepped out then took a brave step forward. He pulled out his invitation as he stepped up to security checking invitations. She looked for his name, marked it off and let him in.

Inside it looked much like he expected. The table decorations were tasteful with a flower arrangement and tea candles. It made the room look like it was from a fairy tale of some sort. It was warm and inviting, but he had nothing to compare it to so he just filed it away for later.

Everyone was dressed in their best. No one looked out of place except maybe him. He saw everyone paired off with their wives or fiancés or girlfriends. He was stag at the party. But amazingly he didn't care that he was alone. His friends had invited him out so it was fine that he didn't have a date.

A hand clapped him hard on the shoulder. Junsu's blond hair was the first thing he saw. The younger twin smiled at him then stepped aside for his brother. Just like his twin, Junho was dressed to the nines with his dark hair styled upwards. Junsu's was messy but it looked good on him.

"We were invited as well," Junsu stated the obvious as he looked around. "We haven't been to one of these events either."

"And your parents own a company," he muttered to which Junsu smiled cheekily. "Have you seen the hosts?"

"Woo Bin's parents are over there talking to the press, but I haven't seen Woo Bin or the rest of F4," Junho said.

They didn't have to wait very much longer. The double doors at the other end of the room opened as if in slow motion. Jun Pyo and Jan Di walked out first because it was their hotel. Jun Pyo was in his classic black tux with bow tie and expensive cufflinks. Jan Di was dressed in a light pink knee length chiffon dress. Her long hair had been pulled back from her face and curled gently.

Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee followed them. As usual Ji Hoo was dressed differently. The shining knight was in a gray almost silver suit with his auburn hair swept away from his face. Kyu Lee looked exquisite in a rose knee length cocktail dress. It was hard to tell she had just had a baby because the dress fit her so perfectly.

Yi Jeong and Ga Eul stepped out next. They weren't paying attention to those around them. Their attention was focused on each other. Yi Jeong had his classic tan tux on that matched Ga Eul's green dress. Obviously they had coordinated before they had even shown up.

But the killer couple was the couple of honor that stepped out last. Woo Bin could be seen over Yi Jeong's head and they knew he was dressed dashingly in his black suit. But it was his wife that killed it. Eri, always wearing pants, was dressed to kill in a floor length royal blue dress with beaded embroidery around the neck. That short hair was pulled back and pinned with pearl that caught the light and exploded. She was easily the most beautiful woman in the room.

The three men were so focused on their hostess that they never saw Jae Kyung come up beside them. When they finally noticed her, she smiled and took Min Ho's arm. The twins shared a knowing look then gracefully stepped back.

"I am your date for the evening," she said as she slipped her hand into his.

Heat flooded his body as she pressed her side into his. Without realizing it, he tightened his hand on hers and pulled her as close as she could. He didn't really drink but he grabbed a flute of champagne and passed it off to her. She took it with a smile then pulled him over to talk to some people she knew.

For the better part of an hour, she introduced him to people in the art world other than Yi Jeong. There were investors and other people who helped keep the gallery alive. He even met world renowned artist Lee Ki Long, the one and only person who had created "Oh My Heavens" that still hung in the gallery after twenty years.

F4 never showed themselves around him and he found that odd. Usually they were clustered together talking amongst themselves, but tonight they were separated. The twins eventually sidled back up to them but the others didn't show. Min Ho felt like he was an outsider already so for his friends not to be around made him feel even more self-conscience.

The four of them were standing by a table in the middle of the room talking when he felt a cold chill run up his spine. Only one person could ever make him feel that way. He turned around to see Min Hae and her husband Choi Tae Min stood behind him. Min Hae was looking Jae Kyung up and down. Knowing his date, Jae Kyung wasn't going to take this lightly.

Junsu puffed up immediately. "As you can see, he's not gay. This is Ha Jae Kyung, heiress to JK Company. They've been seeing each other for a little over a month now."

And once again Junsu spun his words to make it seem like Min Ho and Jae Kyung were an item. It looked like that outsiders, but it was the farthest thing from the truth. Well, was it? He didn't know anymore.

But Min Hae didn't believe it. She scowled as she looked the couple over. "How did you score an heiress when you're a lowly artist?"

Jae Kyung's claws came out. "What? You think simply because he's not an heir I wouldn't like him? That's the worst thing you can say about your brother. Believe it or not, he's a great artist who doesn't talk about what he's feeling because you've beat it out of him."

"I never touched my brother, except maybe in the womb. I have no time for that."

"What's going on?"

Min Ho cringed at the stern voice. His father Cho Kyu Min was a very strict man. Growing up he had made sure his kids had gotten into the best schools available. Of course Min Ho had never studied so he had always attracted his ire. His mother Choi Ji Oh had never taken her kids' sides so they were always at the mercy of their father. The older three were always the pride and joys but Min Ho had always lacked.

Like parasites his brothers Oh Rin and Cha Ohn were attached to his father. Beside Oh Rin was Sung Ji. She gave him a small smile and a wave, and that ripped at him just a little. Those two had never ostracized him, but in the presence of his father they didn't have a choice but to keep quiet. Luckily for him, he had two friends and a lady who were going to stand up for him.

"Hello, sir," Junho said, using his fake respectful voice. He was a master of it and could make anyone feel smile. "We were just discussing Min Ho's girlfriend."

Again with the word, but it drew Kyu Min's attention. He looked at Min Ho's and Jae Kyung's clasped hands and scowled. "You are dating my son? Miss, you can do so much better."

Min Ho felt as if he were two feet tall, the size of Ahn Na when she stood up. His parents knew the exact thing to say to break him down. He looked at Sung Ji, and the look on his face nearly broke him. He pulled his hand free from Jae Kyung's and turned around to leave the party.

But he came face to face with Eri and Woo Bin. The woman stared at him with a closed off expression and eyes of ice. He knew she was angry. She strode forward, leaving Woo Bin behind, and took his left hand. She never touched anyone without a meaning, and he felt her warmth spread through him for that brief moment. He looked at Woo Bin, and the host smiled cockily.

Eri pulled her hand from his and walked by him. She stepped between the twins and laid a hand on each shoulder. They split like the Red Sea but stayed close behind her. Min Ho had no idea what was going on, but the entire room had gotten quiet.

"What are you doing to my brother?" she asked, and those simple words had a huge impact on everyone assembled.

Kyu Min sputtered, his face turning red. "He is not a Song. His name is Cho Min Ho, not Song Min Ho. He is my son."

"Actually, if you think about it, his name is Cho Goo So Song Yoon Min Ho." The crowd split as Kyu Lee and Ji Hoo stepped forward. "He's a part of the F4 family and will always be as long as he chooses."

Min Hae scoffed. "You're really going to choose him when there are plenty of other people who would love to be part of your organization?"

"We're not an organization," Yi Jeong said as he and Ga Eul came in across from Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee. "We're a family, and Min Ho is a trusted member. He's also going to be a part of So Art Gallery when he graduates school as a curator and artist. I'm going to sell his work just like I do with Eri's."

"He's the permanent babysitter for my kids," Woo Bin added as he stepped behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her neck. "He's a trusted member of our family and the only other man that my precious daughter will go to. If I got rid of him, I'm sure my family would feel cold and lost."

Behind the Cho family, Jun Pyo and Jan Di closed in the southern point of their box. United, F4 made a huge impact. With Jae Kyung, Min Ho and the twins standing in the middle, they were publically claiming them in their family.

But the look on Eri's face said she wasn't done. Gently, she lowered Woo Bin's arms and stepped out of the protective box of the twins. She walked towards the Cho family then extended her hand. Ji Hoo handed her a huge canvas that she held up. Min Ho knew instantly what it was and felt a little embarrassed. She was lucky that she could hear the swear words that he said, but she turned and held out her hand for him. He took it instantly because she was going to drag him over anyway.

"I grew up without my parents caring for me. They thought I was a hindrance and an abomination for something they caused. Because I couldn't hear, they thought I wasn't worth anything. But luckily for me, my brother and grandparents took care of me. Grandpere taught me the value of art and how to express how I was feeling when I couldn't say it in words."

She looked over the canvas. "Min made this one of the first days he was working with me. I never asked what it was because I already knew. But as I looked at it, I realized it had nothing to do with how he was feeling. It was everything about how his family felt. His father and mother who thought money was power; his eldest brother who married the girl he loved; his middle brother who was kind but weak; and his twin he didn't care whether he lived or died. Amazingly there is no resentment in this piece."

Min Ho was near tears as she read exactly how he was feeling a piece of art he had worked on nearly a year ago. He thought he had tossed it on the recycle pile long ago, but Eri had kept it. He wiped at his eyes with his free hand.

"It takes a truly destroyed person to understand another. Emotions don't come easy for me. I don't understand them and I don't pretend to, but even I can become disastrously angry when my friends are abandoned."

She swept the circle with her hand, taking in everyone. "Jun Pyo, a man who was forced into things by his mother, leads this group of men and protects them with Jan Di at his side. Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee patch us up when we get cuts and bruises. Woo Bin defends us with everything he has and provides us with information, love and care when we need it. Yi Jeong and Ga Eul create in us things we never thought we could feel by just the stroke of a hand. Junsu and Junho keep us laughing with their quirky and freaky twin thing. And Min Ho," she held up their joined hands, "Min Ho shows us that no matter what happens, always keep a chipper disposition because you never know whose lap you're going to fall into."

"And Eri is our rock," Jae Kyung said, drawing everyone's attention. She stepped forward and tossed an arm around the woman who never took her stoic face off Min Ho's family. "Whenever something bothers us, we can always turn to her for our defense. She will never turn us away if we need her. We may never understand what she feels, but we know that she loves us enough to go to war for us. We're all grateful for that devotion."

Eri glanced at her then turned her attention. "Family doesn't end in blood. I learned that the second I came to Korea. Min Ho is my brother. I have claimed him and given him access to every ounce of my life. If you want to dispute that, bring it on. I will destroy you."

Electricity crackled between F4 and the Cho family. Once again united, no one was going to take on this powerhouse. Kyu Min opened his mouth and Jun Pyo stirred.

"If I'm correct, two of your biggest investors are Shinhwa Group and Song Construction. Do you really want to open your mouth and have all of that come crumbling down?" he asked.

Armed with information and determination, nothing was going to stop this family. So, Song, Yoon and Goo were united in every aspect from emotions to business. Anyone going against them was about to commit societal suicide. Kyu Min seemed to understand that because in the next moment he turned and led his family away.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Min Ho pulled Eri into a hug. She hugged him back then pulled away to hold his face.

"Did you really think we'd throw you to the wolves without a plan?" she asked. "You're part of this family. We defend and protect each other. Stop crying. And I'm keeping this." She held up the canvas.

Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo turned to the crowd gathered. "If anyone else has anything to say, say it now. If not, go back to your business."

The crowd dispersed at the command. Jae Kyung took Min Ho aside and handed him some tissues so he could clean up.

"You know, it takes guts to stand up to your family like that," she said. "I didn't think you were going to go through with it."

He snuffled then dabbed at his eyes before laughing. "Eri would have kicked my butt if I had walked away." He looked at her. "Thank you."

"It's what your girlfriend is for."

"Is that what we are?" She smiled at him. "Let's take it slow. I don't want to rush anything."

She nodded. "I'm okay with that, but you have to tell me if I'm acting too crazy."

He laughed again. "Deal."

She took his hand and led him back to the group, back to their family.

THE END.


End file.
